MARKETPLACE: The Centre at Lexus Escondido

An evening of fine dining — at a local car dealership? The two don’t seem to go together.

But once you are inside the spectacular marble lobby at The Centre at Lexus Escondido on your way to Vintana — the new place to wine and dine in Escondido that was recently opened by David and Lesley Cohn and Deborah Scott — it begins to make sense. You know you’re in a different place, one that conveys luxury, but a comfortable kind.

Judy Jones-Cone, owner of Toyota Carlsbad and Lexus Carlsbad and now the three-story building known as The Centre at Lexus Escondido, first envisioned the project more than 10 years ago. With it comes a sense that Escondido has a landmark that’s bringing a new pride to the community as well as visitors from around the region.

More than just a car dealership, the $30 million facility was designed to be a gathering place, with the restaurant, two boardrooms that can be rented for events and meetings, indoor and outdoor spaces for weddings, family reunions or other private functions, and soon, retail space.

Spring and summer concerts, which have featured such notable musicians as Rita Coolidge, Chaka Khan and Spyro Gyra, are held on the 10,000-square-foot rooftop that seats up to 600 with expansive views of the city.

“Judy wanted to create a premier gathering place where everyday events could be transformed into extraordinary experiences — not just a super dealership,” said Drew Davis, general manager of The Centre. “The idea was to create a place where people could celebrate the best things of life, from a wedding, to dining, to shopping or buying a car.”

Besides the concerts, The Centre has hosted a full-production fashion show that included a runway through the center of the Lexus showroom, as well as events for such diverse organizations as the Palomar Family YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of San Diego, Palomar Health, Escondido Humane Society and the San Diego Food Bank.

“It was a little scary when I first came, with all the marble and glass,” said Scott, one of San Diego’s best-known chefs who has crafted a new menu with her signature California cuisine, aiming to open area diners to new culinary delights. But now, she added, “I have forgotten that I’m in a car dealership.”

As she looked out over the hills of North County and a nearly full restaurant during a recent lunch service, Scott beamed with enthusiasm about how welcoming the community has been to the new concept.

Noting her own rural upbringing in North Carolina and Virginia, she said she is enjoying the casual, friendly nature of THE diners visiting Vintana.

“Family is everything. I feel that here more than anywhere else in San Diego,” Scott said, adding that people are welcome in all attire, from shorts to suits.

Those arriving for lunch are greeted and directed to free parking on ground level or the third-level parking lot adjacent to Vintana.

Vintana is the 15th restaurant operated by the Cohns in San Diego. Since 1981 when they opened their first, Corvette Diner, they have added eateries in San Diego’s downtown, Balboa Park and Harbor Island as well as Oceanside’s 333 Pacific and a host of others.

With brand-spanking-new Lexus models flanking one side of the street-level Lexus showroom and equally polished “pre-owned” models on the other, those who come to the center immediately get a sense of calm and welcoming. A fountain, which at night splashes in concert with a varying array of tunes, sets the mood as visitors approach. On the restaurant deck are outdoor fire pits and cabanas that can be reserved for private dinners.

To many who pass by along I-15, the large digital screen may be what stands out. But Davis said that’s one way they support the community, with more than half of all images posted supporting local nonprofits and the arts, or broadcasting missing child updates.

The back of the screen is a blank wall that he said might serve well as a movie screen for outdoor showings.

Anyone arriving after 4:30 p.m. is greeted with free valet service before heading to either the dealership or the restaurant – and soon a collection of shops that will hold to the luxury theme, Davis said. While no leases have been made final, they have a letter of intent from a salon and hope to add a jeweler, perhaps a chocolatier, maybe a spa and a woman’s boutique.

While some people seemed a bit skeptical that a dealership could be co-located with a signature restaurant and shops, Davis said that visitors seem favorably impressed.

While customers’ vehicles are being tended to in the spotless, high-tech service bays, they can go upstairs for lunch or relax in a library-like setting complete with massage chairs, the Cyber Cafe, or in the business center, all while their children play in their own area.

“It’s a new type of symbiotic relationship that has advantages for us and for them,” Scott said.

Perhaps this story she tells is an indication of just how large that advantage is: A friend came to visit her as the restaurant was taking shape, she said, and when the pal left, she walked downstairs and bought a $60,000 car.